Governor announces state to help with healthcare personnel shortages for COVID-19 response
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is currently contracting with four vendors to provide medical personnel to 61 hospitals statewide to meet the staffing shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mississippi State Department of Health is coordinating with applicable licensing boards to vet the licenses of all healthcare workers who are contracted. Vendors are selected based on pricing and staffing availability. The state is currently contracting with the following vendors: H&S, Snapnurse, GQR and Maxim. Additional vendors have been contacted to assist in medical staffing shortages.
“We are doing whatever it takes to get boots on the ground in our hospitals,” Gov. Tate Reeves said. “Today, we are deploying over 1,000 healthcare personnel within 9 business days of the initial request. Our top priority is to ensure that every Mississippian who can get better with quality care receives that care. We are grateful for those that are answering the call to alleviate the pressure on our healthcare workers. To the current healthcare staff in the state, we thank you for your continued dedication to our fellow Mississippians.”
Starting August 24, 2021, 808 nurses, three certified registered nurse anesthetists, 22 nurse practitioners, 193 respiratory therapists and 20 paramedics will deploy to 50 hospitals including these facilities in South Mississippi:
- Singing River – Pascagoula
- Singing River – Ocean Springs
- Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
- Singing River – Gulfport
- George County Hospital – Lucedale
- Pearl River County – Poplarville
- Merit Health Biloxi
- Ochsner Medial Center Hancock
Onboarding medical staffing is a phased-in approach. Level 1 and 2 trauma hospital requests have been fulfilled; Level 3 hospital requests are being processed and fulfilled. All staffing requests should be met by the end of the week.
“Medical staffing provided by the state is for the COVID-19 mission to address the surge of patients due to the Delta Variant,” says MEMA Executive Director Stephen McCraney. “Our staff has worked tirelessly to give our hospitals the relief they need and deserve. We are working with FEMA to secure reimbursement for these contracts worth roughly $10 million a week statewide for eight and a half weeks. MEMA stands ready to coordinate any additional resources needed,”
MEMA is requesting an expedited federal reimbursement from FEMA to cover the costs of medical staffing contracts.
The medical staffing needs advertised in the original ‘request for quote’ included 65 physicians, 920 registered nurses, 41 CRNAs, 59 nurse practitioners (APN), 34 physician assistants, 239 respiratory therapists and 20 EMT paramedics. Nineteen vendors supplied RFQs.
